I was flabbergasted to see this The Sydney Morning Herald headline a few days ago: “Waratahs show Mowen the exit door to clear the way for Elsom.”
As the article says, Mowen has been playing for the Tahs for over three years now, and has been playing so well the media had been speculating for awhile that (with all the injuries) he might get a gig in a gold jersey. Further, he has been a good part of the Tahs’ forward pack, who are well regarded in the Super comp as an integral art of why the Tahs are so competitive.
Tell that to Tahs management, who apparently can’t fit him in (although the SMH on Monday said some officials were surprised Mowen might go – so much for the new Tahs company being different to the old NSWRU incarnation). The speculation that it is to allow Elsom into the team appears to miss two points.
Firstly, speculation that a personality clash between Rocky and Phil Waugh means Rocky won’t come to the Tahs if Waugh is still there.
So why punt a great talent if it can’t even be guaranteed you’re getting Elsom (given Waugh still hasn’t indicated if he will play again next year)? Secondly, Elsom isn’t exactly guaranteed to play every game.
He clearly has had injury problems ever since he came back from Europe, and has barely gotten on the field this year for the Brumbies, after a problematic year last year. So surely Mowen is likely to be needed to fill in for Elsom if he breaks down for the Tahs next year?
Perhaps the salary cap mooted by the ARU will also play into this? But then surely there’s plenty of readies now that Kurtley Beale has headed to the Rebels for the “business and networking” opportunities (not the cash).
This came on top of seeing that Sosene Anesi is going after the maximum two years allowed for a marquee player (which he was from memory), but perhaps worse, Sitaleki Timani and Pat O’Connor are also going.
Timani was also being talked about as being on the verge of making the Wallabies, although again I think this is more media speculation than reality. But this means two players talked about as potential Wallabies are being let go (or got better offers, but who’d know from the dearth of media coverage).
I have also read that Josh Holmes is off contract at the end of this year, which is strange given Luke Burgess is heading to France. Surely the Tahs need to lock in Holmes and McKibbin with him going. Apparently not, instead we get speculation (apparently driven by the relevant agents) that the Tahs were looking at Andy Ellis.
So here we are with a number of good players leaving the Tahs, and questions about how the team is going to be placed next year.
Chris Hickey is coming to the end of his three-year contract, and by all accounts is ready to go (although he is giving strange noises not saying he will definitely go).
Talk is Michael Foley will replace him, but no one will say that is the case. Instead, it is likely the Tahs (new management and all) will wait until the Super season is over before making any decision. Perhaps too late given what seems to be going on with deciding who is in the team next year.
I haven’t been Hickey’s greatest fan. I don’t regard him as a bad coach, but also can’t say he has been a particularly great coach. I have always felt he hasn’t gotten the best out of this team.
The new coach, whoever they are, will need to mould the team to suit their style and vision for the Tahs. However, at the rate we are going a certain amount of moulding will already have been done. The question is by who?
Who at the Tahs is making these decisions, which will impact on the ability of any new coach in 2012? If that coach doesn’t get the chance to properly affect the roster until this time next year, there’ll be some interesting discussions about meeting any KPIs for season 2012 if I was an applicant.
Unless Foley really is going to be next year’s coach, and this is all being done with his input. But he has never struck me as a Machiavellian operator likely to be doing so. If he was the coach to be, I’d expect it to have been announced.
So the good ship Tah-tanic sails on through recruiting seas, no one at the helm, hoping not to strike any icebergs in the near future until the new captain comes to the wheel.
mikeylives
Guest
Thank god. Very fast player, but not up to it with catching/passing.
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
The SMH has reported today that Mowen rejected an offer to him. Looks like Benny is better at playing the media than the tahs. Surprise, surprise. However, this doesn't get away from the main point of my article that, if Hickey is going, who is making the decisions about the roster for next year which the next coach (presumably) will inherit? And how (i.e. what's the plan?!?!?!)? I have my first question for the next fan forum ......
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
Once the handbags at 10 paces have stopped ..... I think Mowen is a big loss TO THE TAHS. Higginbotham, Samo, Brown, Hodgson, McCalman, Palu, Vaea and Saffy don't play for the Tahs, and aren't likely to next year. Mowen has had some off games, but he isn't the only one there in the Tahs this year. I still think he has been a good player for us, and provides some impact in the forwards. If he does go we will have to replace him with someone with less Super experience, like Perritt or similar, I expect. Given the loss of experience generally with other players going (Baxter, Burgess, Beale), I would prefer to avoid that. I disagree he plays as small as Mumm. I'd take Mowen over Mumm.
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
The penny just dropped. So "Chris", are you involved in coaching, and coming to the end of your contract? All this a bit close to the bone ... ? :)
Adam
Guest
I think he has been reading the bottom of a bottle..
Ben S
Roar Guru
I don't think I've made anything personal, and if you want to see where you've been rude then peruse your comments on your profile link. Frankly, the last thing I'm interested in is an internet argument with the Roar LF, so I'll leave it at that.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Ben S - When have I been consistently rude to you? You were the one who made this discusion personal yet again. Yes I do understand there are different roles and players have different skills and you may take a lesser skilled player purely because it suits the balance of team / forward pack as it stands. However it is very very common for most people to rate one player better than another without having to qualify every myrid skill or in which situations, by definition it is a generalisation that on balance someone thinks someone is a better player. Mowen is a good lineout but not excellent. Elsom, Samo and Higginbotham are 6's who are significantly better at lineout IMO but of course I cant say that because you will find that offensive or a generalisation or closing down debate or some such. Mowen IMO does not have a consistent high work rate. Some games he does, others especially against the hard teams he goes missing and into his shell. Saffy has a high work rate all the time. BTW Saffy also is enormous at the break in pilfering ball almost as good as a genuine opensider but of course you know everything about a player. Please dont reply to my posts if you have to be so antagonistic or it pains you so much since I seem to be rude to you and all your other issues with me.
allblackfan
Guest
Sosene Anesi CAN NOT stay with NSW. He's a marquee signing and two years is the limit he can spend with an Aust franchise, according to the ARU. His time is up.
Ben S
Roar Guru
It has been said that your are one of the most self-righteous posters on this website, and I agree. You are also consistently rude, or at least to me anyhow, so I think you need to be careful of where you throw stones. You never encourage debate, consistently coming out with simple yet conclusive comments that basically negate any form of debate. I suggest you reconsider some of your old posts - perhaps you don't even know you're doing it? I think it's fair to say that you don't comprehend the nuances of forward play because it's an observation based on your comments. What you say is often reliant on one wide premise, and errs on the side of broad simplicity rather than sound and detailed analysis - something that I've mentioned to you on more than one occasion. I refer you to the Moore v TPN debate. And in this instance, just briefly, you state that Saffy has been better at 6? Why should I waste my time explaining that it's not a fair comparison of a player who has played all season in 1 position and another who has switched between the two? Why waste my time suggesting that certain players have certain skills, and to simply say that one player is better is a gross oversimplification? In any case, I could point out that Saffy is no more than a tackler, has poor handling skills and is not a viable lineout or re-start option. Conversely, I could point out that Mowen is a poor carrier, but is an excellent lineout and re-start forward and has a good work rate, often having to do extra work to compensate for a poor 2nd row combination. Back row play is complicated, and back rows style fit into a pattern of team play - not he is better. Simple! etc.
Rory
Guest
But those guys don't play for the Tahs (other than Cliffy) and I don't recall any of them being touted as possible signings. What do we do - let Mowen go and replace him with nobody?
Rory
Guest
Can Waratahs management afford to wait until after the Super Rugby season is over before making announcements on player or coaching signings? Do we really need someone precious like Rocky who won't play with Waugh or Vickerman? Maybe he won't play with Gits either and that's why he hasn't taken the field for the Brumbies this season - oh that's right he did. The other week. Keeping Mowen would be money better spent. Let Rocky return OS. And if we are losing our marquee international signing in Anesi, why isn't Ma'a Nonu being targeted as our new marquee? I hear he's available!! Don't know if I'll be parting with my hard-earned next year for season tickets if we turn up without players of the calibre of Kurtley, Mowen, Burgess, Anesi, Timani (who has been a revelation these past few games), Holmes etc. Who will we have left? And let's see - our recruitment announcement - um AAC. Very good player when in form, which he is starting to find now, but can he replace all those rumoured to be going? Not on his own! If we have another season ravaged by injury like this one, we won't have the depth to survive.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Mowen HAS played 6 this year , and still has not played that well IN THOSE GAMES. Why on earth cant you compare with other players who have played BOTH positions and played both better? They have played better in physicality at the breakdown, in clearing out rucks, in dominant tackles, in breaking the line carrying the ball, in lineout takes, in offloads in the tackle, in cover tackles. Also how dare you say I dont have comprehension of the nuances of forward play. You are being very arrogant and of course resort to a personal attack. Of course you dont justify your stance on Mowen being better you just say someone esle is wrong. Also denying others very reasonable comparisons as invalid has no basis, or are you some empowered judge and you are the only one to say what is avlid or invalid?
Ben S
Roar Guru
You're comparing a 6 who has had to play 8 due to injuries to 6s and 8s. That's not fair at any level. Your comparisons simply aren't apt, especially with Higginbotham and Samo who have alternated, and simply saying 'all played better' is yet again typically broad and lacking any form of justification or comprehension of the nuances of forward play.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Of course its fair. Mowen has played both 6 and 8 this year not just 8. There are a LOT of better 6's and 8's this year. Additionally Higginbotham, Samo, Brown also played BOTH 6 and 8 and were better at both. OK if I look at players who played 6 Higginbotham, Samo, Brown, Hodgson, and Saffy all played better at 6. OK if I look at players who played 8 Higginbotham, Samo, Brown, McCalman, Palu, and Vaea all played better at 8. If you look at the bigger players Higginbotham, Samo and Palu they all use their size for a lot more impact. Mowen has had a poor year, very simple. Small loss.
Ben S
Roar Guru
That's not fair: Mowen is a 6 who has played 8 this year due to injuries and yet you are comparing him to a host of 6s and 8s.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
What is happening now at the Waratahs has shades of Reds circa 00-01. A team chock full of talent that were always close to winning it, but a incompetent management trying their best to put players offside. I really hope they Tah's don't follow that path.
Boonzie
Guest
he has a brother that's pretty much the same size.... wonder if he can step up
chester
Guest
Anesi has not been resigned
Jimbo
Guest
I wondered why NSW were never in the mix for James O'Connor's signature, despite the fact there was speculation linking him to each of the other 4 Australian teams. Did he ever say he wouldn't play for NSW (which wouldn't be completely surprising considering he is a Qlder)? I would have thought he would have been a walk - on replacement for Beale.
PeterK
Roar Guru
In general talent identification and retention of better players is very poor at the Tahs. That said I honestly dont think Mowen is a big loss. He has had a very average year, very few games where he excelled or had a big impact. He does have a very large body but plays very small , almost as bad as Mumm. There are plenty of better performed 6 and 8 this year. Higginbotham, Samo, Brown, Hodgson, McCalman, Palu, Vaea and Saffy.